


A Group Effort

by catlyson



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer, Six of Crows Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-08
Updated: 2018-12-27
Packaged: 2019-01-10 13:33:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12300183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catlyson/pseuds/catlyson
Summary: An abandoned baby + Lunar chronicles  + Six of Crows. Chaos ensues.(When Cinder comes into the care of a baby, she and her brigade-of-friends-who-had-bad-childhoods band together to raise her. After all, who said having 13 parents was a bad idea?)





	1. The New Addition

**Author's Note:**

> this idea just popped into my head and I wrote down two chapters immediately afterward when I should have been doing my history essay on Edo. I love both book series to death and thought it would be a pretty fun idea. Hope you like my work :)
> 
> Update- Okay so I edited this chapter because after reading it through I wasn't that happy with it. I hope it's more enjoyable to read now.

She’s a small thing, really. All wrapped up in a pink blanket and placed inside a cardboard box with a blank birth certificate taped onto the side. Cinder had found her while picking up some new tools from the hardware store for a commission, alone on the corner of the street. It was the beginning of Autumn where trees turned to gold and the chills began creeping in through the thin layers of summer clothing. 

 

She sneezed. The baby yawned.

 

Cinder’s felt dizzy she considered her options. She couldn’t leave her here, the baby would catch a cold. Oh stars, was she insane? The first thing she should do was definitely call the police, they will take care of the baby. Cinder pulled out her phone from the pocket of her shorts to make the call. 

 

The baby fisted at the blanket and cried out. A weak helpless sound. 

 

Cinder paused, her fingers hovering above the screen, unsure of what she should do. Swallowing, she called someone else instead. 

 

“Hello?” Iko’s voice filters through the phone at the first ring. 

“Cinder? Cinder are you there? He-llooooo? Is this an emergency? I’m kind of busy right now, Saving the world from horrible fashion choices one garment at a time?”. 

Cinder licked her lips, unable to smile at her joke and blurted out, “Iko, I found an abandoned baby and, and I need you to come pick me up, I’m at the hardware store.”. 

 

The line grew silent until Iko finally croaked out “I’ll be there in 10.” and clicked off without so much as a goodbye. Cinder fidgeted with the frayed cuffs of her fingerless gloves, pulling at loose ends when the baby started to mewl pitifully again as another gust of wind blew past. The world dimmed as she carefully picked the baby up from the box, trying to remember bits and pieces from her 10th-grade health class experiment with those baby dolls, something about supporting the head? when the baby looked right up at her. Of course, the baby couldn't see anything, but to Cinder it felt as if she was saying something. Eyes that said don’t leave me. Exactly what she had told every foster parent that had sent her back to the system until she had met Iko and realized that family didn’t have to be with parents, but with people who really cared for you. Cinder was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t notice Iko until she tapped Cinder on the shoulder making her jump. 

 

“Woah, you weren’t kidding, are you going to...”

“I’m taking her home Iko.”. 

A sort of silent understanding passed between them as Iko murmured. 

 

“I wouldn't have expected anything less”

 

It was the right decision. She, they would be better than foster care. They would make sure this baby isn’t just taken care of, but wanted.

 

Cinder kept repeating those thoughts to herself as Iko drove them back to the apartment they shared. Although each time she glanced at the baby in question, the uneasy feeling grew even more. Later that night, everyone’s crowded around the couch in her cramped living room, cooing and taking pictures of Thorne doing the lion king pose while Jacin looks on, brow furrowed and ready to dive, just in case Thorne drops the baby. She smiles albeit worriedly at that, making a mental note to never leave Thorne alone with her. Of course, that is the first thing he would think of doing.

 

The kitchen light flickers on behind Cinder as Iko plucks the mug out of her hands, retorting, “Hey, you wouldn’t want to crush it to pieces right?”.  “It’s from the 2 dollar store, I’m sure no one would miss it.” Cinder deadpanned, rubbing her prosthetic hand absentmindedly.

 

“Your saving her from a whole lotta hell Cinder, stop overthinking it”. 

 

“I’m not worried about that, it’s… it’s just that I don’t know if I’ll be any better at it. Just putting a roof over her head isn’t going to be enough you know, she’ll need to learn what’s right and wrong, what being happy is really like...  and you know I can’t just hand her over to foster care, we both know how horrible things can turn out in there but just maybe she’ll end up in a nice family instead of being raised by barely-university-graduates and oh stars, what if she asks about her real mother!, what if--”

 

“It’ll be a group effort Cinder. You the baby and all of us. One big eccentric family,” Winter’s determined voice cuts through from the living room, her face beaming and hopeful. “We’ll help whenever we can. We live in the same building after all!” she adds on, smoothing out the skirts of her dress with an elegant flick of her hand.

 

“Of course we’ll have to ask Matthias and Wolf to run an official check on her at the station just in case someone's looking for her,” Scarlet supplies, “Or I can do that by myself, I mean if you don’t want to go through the hassle”. Cress adds on, hesitantly. “Ha, see Cinder? Even Cress is willing to do something illegal for this kid.” Thorne jokes, making everyone laugh, but as soon as they sober up he says, “but in all seriousness, you don’t have to worry.”.

 

The realization drops like a stone, heavy in her chest, making it hard to swallow. 

 

None of them have had great childhoods and they all wanted to do right by this kid. 

 

Oh stars, this baby’s really won the jackpot, hasn’t she.

 

Everyone was staring at Cinder now as she approached the baby, oblivious to what was happening around her. All wrinkles, wispy hair and rosy cheeks. 

 

“Well, what should we name her?”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, actually what should we name her? I have the second chapter written out but I've left the baby's name blank for the moment. I thought maybe peony but I'm not too sure yet. 
> 
> -Let me know what you think! (I'll try to update as soon as possible)
> 
> -catlyson


	2. A Strange Encounter (Scarlet)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long to update such a short chapter, I'm trying to write longer ones but I wanted to make it a cliffhanger :)

 

It really had been a group effort these past few weeks. More of a bigger group than Cinder had probably anticipated, but helpful… 

Oh stars who was she kidding, the first week had been an absolute trainwreck. Who knew babies cried so much! All day, every day, mon dieu, she’s never seen Cinder this stressed since meeting her mother for the first time. When she and Wolf had come home from The Mortal Instruments concert the last thing they’d expected was to be forc-- I’m sorry,  _ escorted _ into Cinder’s apartment by Jacin, only to be greeted by their disheveled friends hunched over a sleeping baby.  

If Scarlet wasn’t such a heavyweight, she’d be sure she was drunk off her ass.

A few days after Cinder brought the baby, now fondly named Luna home, Cress had set up an entire surveillance system out of old cameras and wires which Iko had helped pin to the ceiling of Winter’s old room because Cress was too short to even reach the overhead cabinets in Cinder’s kitchen. Scarlet had, of course, found the whole thing extremely pointless as the baby couldn't even see properly, but Cress argued that it was just a matter of time before the baby started moving around and so the matter was settled.

However, much to everyone's dismay, Luna was apparently determined to keep them awake with her crying and wailing during every waking moment of the day. Wylan, the blonde boy that always seemed to have scorch marks on his shirt had come up to teach Cinder some tips on the request of his roommates a few days ago to no avail it seemed. Scarlet pressed her pillow against her face and groaned. Who the hell was taking care of the baby tonight? Someone utterly incompetent… The obvious answer would be Thorne who was even more clueless than Cinder, or Wolf who held the baby an arm's distance away in fear of accidentally crushing her with his hands alone… 

Strangely, the wailing had stopped only during the night a few days ago and Scarlet could swear she heard the whole building sigh in relief. Although Winter had reasoned that Luna had probably just tired herself out during the day, she couldn’t help but listen to the nagging feeling in the back of her head as she put her pillow back under her head only to drift off to sleep moments later. 

\---------

Scarlet checked the baby monitor again, the bright screen blinding her for a moment before she could read the time, 4:05 AM. It has been too quiet for way too long now, considering that she was woken up by Wolf’s snoring again an hour earlier and that this no-crying-baby thing has been continuing for a week now. Scarlet flicked through the different screens until she landed on the camera in apartment 5. Scarlet squinted at the screen as a hooded figure glided in and out of view holding Luna in their arms. “Wolf! Wolf wake up!” Scarlet whispered, shaking him hard, only to get a few grunts out of him. Groaning, she gingerly peeled back the covers, swung her legs off of the bed and padded as quietly as she could out of her apartment towards Cinder’s across the hall. Stars, now she really wished the baby would start crying by now. 

This was getting creepy.

The door to Cinder’s apartment was unlocked, which was unsurprising given the amount of people barging in and out at any time they pleased. As Scarlet crept through Cinders apartment in the dark she banged her hip hard on the corner of a table, and cursed silently, and then again on one of the mismatching chairs lying around the room. Screw the cameras she grimaced as she stubbed her toe on the edge of a wall, they really should baby proof this apartment first. Scarlet eyed another safety hazard shining on the kitchen counter, one of Cinder’s wrenches. She weighted the wrench in her hand,  deciding that she would grab the baby before knocking out the intruder for good measure and threw the door open to the nursery. As the lights flicked on Scarlet’s mouth dropped to the floor as she stared at an equally surprised girl holding a sleeping Luna, swaddled up in a blanket embroidered with silver stars and moons.

“Inej?”

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo... Did you like it? please make suggestions or comments about how you think I could improve!
> 
> (I changed the baby name to Luna after some consideration as I thought it would be funny and because I realized that naming a baby after your dead sister is not the best thing to do?!?)
> 
> (Also If you've noticed I've made Channary alive in this fic because I honestly think she is a pretty good character, not a great person but definitely an interesting pov to write from.)


	3. Disturbance (Kaz)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahahahhahah this was so much fun to write, sorry I'm a bit delayed with the update I didn't have time over the weekend to finish it off. I'm trying to incorporate bits and pieces of the books inside the story so please let me know what you think!!

That damn baby was crying again.

 

Of course, if they were any other neighbor he would have them out of the building today before the sun rose in the sky, but much to his dismay Cinder’s mother owned this very apartment where he had set up the Dreg’s headquarters as it was the most secure building on the block. Crime would never be suspected, or in reality apprehended if the name Blackburn was attached to it in any way, and that was the kind of security Kaz needed in order to ensure that their covers were intact. 

 

This was the Ketterdam district, after all, you could never be too sure of anything.

 

Of course, he had to admit, meeting Cinder had been a stroke of good luck as she was the one to slip undercover with her friends and help Inej uncover the horrifying human trafficking ring run by no other than her own aunt Levana Blackburn, The Monarch, or her more preferred alias: The Empress. Kaz’s own motive for uncovering Levana’s secret, however, was, of course, to assist Inej in her never-ending pursuit of justice, but also to stop the manufacturing of Jurda Parem a new drug which was not only affecting members of the dregs, but running some of his own businesses to the ground, an event that he could not let slip past his fingers. 

 

Although he could care less about Levana receiving the sentences she deserved, Kaz could never forget the night after the party where Inej surprised him with a feather soft kiss on the lips that left him undeniably shaken, but this time because of giddy euphoria instead of the terror of being strangled by bloated limbs. Kaz had walked around the block for what seemed like hours that night despite the pain in his leg to get rid of the blush that burned on his cheeks. He suspected that Nina saw him from her window, but didn’t say a thing as he knew about her involvement with a certain blonde police officer, a secret she wanted to keep as well.

 

\----------------------------

 

Most of them were all attending the same university in Ketterdam which had a rather wide assortment of major and minor classes to match the insane tuition fee that followed in suit, while the older members of the group had their own respective jobs. Jesper, ever being the smooth talker had slipped their need for housing into his conversation with Winter, the unbelievably beautiful but loony girl who was related to Cinder in a complicated family tree which had landed them an interview with the heiress to the Blackburn fortune herself. It was fairly easy to obtain the necessary apartments themselves as Inej was already good friends with Cinder after spending so much time together to flush Levana out, and Kaz could act the part of a harmless economics major. Money was, of course, no problem and with additional bargaining, they were able to get apartments for the main members of the dregs, which led them to today. 

 

Kaz placed his pen back in the holder with a heavy thunking sound and ran his hands through his hair as the crying continued. He could only send Wylan up so many times before it was considered “rude” according to Jesper. Easy for him to say, his apartment wasn’t placed directly below the screaming child’s room. “Nina!” Kaz called out as he got up from desk to open the door, “Go upstairs to see what wrong with that-”, he pauses as he turns around to see Inej climbing into the room from the fire escape “Nina’s not here, it’s her day off remember?” Inej asks, “and the baby’s name is Luna. Besides, Scarlet’s the one who should be complaining she lives right next door to Cinder.”. Kaz glares at her half-heartedly as she places a stack of envelopes onto his desk. “Business seems to be growing,” she murmurs “I hear the same goes for The Wraith.” Kaz answers and watches as a smile grows on Inej’s face. She opens her mouth to answer as the door opens to reveal a portscreen wielding Thorne and a nervous looking Wylan peeping out from the side. 

 

“Hey, Cress fixed that weird glitch you were having with your net server, she says try not to download any more malware from sketchy websites again.”. Kaz directs a real glare towards Thorne who raised his hands in defense “Woah, I’m just quoting Cress here, not my words.”. Squinting, he gestures towards the two of them and asks “I wasn’t interrupting anything was I?”. Kaz glances towards Inej, whose expression had also been carefully wiped clean as she slid on her jacket. “No, we were just worried about Nina, so many night excursions in one month, it’s a bit worrisome isn’t it Kaz?”, she asks, her tone even, “Yes,” he grinds out “very worrying.” and practically walks Thorne out of his room. But as he turns around to look at Inej again she is gone, the only indication of her even standing there being the open window and the gradually fading cries of the baby as he goes back to his writing.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked it! please leave notes on my writing! I'm trying to improve, and/or about the story itself. See you next Saturday/Sunday/Monday (I haven't figured out a exact schedule yet)


	4. Worries (Cinder)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so so so so so so so sorry that I haven't updated in a while. The last time was October, and now its actually past Christmas. 
> 
> I would like to say it was because of school and my hectic schedule, but half of it's probably due to my laziness so sorry Booksrgood4u I was not able to stay awesome but I'm working towards it. Also, it may be due to the shock of watching the last jedi and then finish reading Lord of shadows in two consecutive days making me wonder if I was trying to kill myself, and then by drowning my sorrows in stormpilot and Reylo fics. 
> 
> I hope you like this chapter, I tried adding a small dose of Wylan and Jesper as suggested by noorasdandekar, because how could I say no to more of their cuteness!
> 
> Update- I fixed the chapter up a bit as always, sorry if you thought it was a new chapter!

“Cinder, we're out of those corner guard tapes!"  
Iko called out from the living room. Sighing, Cinder put down the packet of safety locks and stood up.

Her back was sore from crouching down all morning baby-proofing the apartment and putting away any hazardous tools/sharp objects that were carelessly thrown about.

"We're almost out of these anti electrocution caps as well, should I run down to the store?"  
Jesper asks.

Cinder tried closing her eyes and recalling the list of baby proofing materials she found on the net. Then snorting as if she couldn't help herself added, “Anti electrocution caps?”

  
"I bet Wylan has to baby proof his apartment so that you don't spill dangerous chemicals or electrocute yourself" Iko grins at Jesper.

" _Wylan's apartment_? We both live there you know." Jesper protested. 

"But I wonder who pays the rent?" Cinder jumps in. 

Putting his hands on his hips, he replies "I make up for it by being an _amazing_ boyfriend, and can you answer my question?" 

 "Yes, thank you Jesper. That actually would be great, we need more of the cabinet locks as well.".

Wylan sighed wistfully, "I would do anything for a photographic memory, I swear these formulas my professor’s trying to make me memorize are going to drive me insane!"

Cinder opened her mouth to reply when Jesper cut in, "Are formulas really the only thing you want left burning into your memory?" as he gestured to his body. Wylan flushed a bright red and stuttered incoherently as Cinder rolled her eyes.

She glanced back at the steadily growing pile of commissions waiting on her desk “Just come back quickly okay? We need to finish this by tomorrow and I have other work to do.”.

“Will do, can I take the Rampion?” Jesper asks.

“No way! Cinder, Nina and I are going to use it for girls night tonight and would like to _keep_ it scratch-free please!” Iko implored,  as she skipped over to stand next to Jesper batting her eyelashes.

“But it’s _faster_ than public transportation meaning that Cinder can get her other business inquiries started.”

Iko raised a perfectly arched brow. "Since when were you so interested in work?"

“You can take the rampion if Wylan drives.” Cinder cuts in and Jesper grinned widely.

“Don’t worry Iko, I’ll get you those petite apple sours as a show of gratitude”.

Iko huffed “I think you mean Sour Apple Petites... ooh, and get the jumbo pack!” then groaned and slumped onto the couch, disappointed that she gave into his bribery.

They both watched as Wylan and Jesper shuffled around the various bags scattered on the floor and returned Wylan's wave of goodbye before he was pulled out of the doorway with a squeak. Cinder dropped herself down on the couch next to Iko as she massaged her temples. She flicked her gaze to Iko and paused. Frowning, Cinder lifted one of the braids, narrowing her eyes and oh, _oh_.

“Iko, your hair dye's fading!”

Iko lips quirked upwards “I know, but looking perfect has become my number two priority after Luna.”.

Cinder put her face in her hand and screamed. “I’m basically chipping, no, hacking away at everyone else’s private life! I mean you and Nina have a job! Not to mention the stress I’m piling up on everyone else, you remember how bad midterms were, Wylan and Cress are just about to rocket towards the moon with all the caffeine and anxiety running through their veins.”.

Slumping even further down on the couch, she sighed. “Maybe we didn’t give Adri enough credit for raising four kids.”.

“Okay, first of all, there is a major difference between raising four kids and just sharing a roof with them. And secondly, Wylan and Cress are going to be fine Cinder, besides no one’s forcing us to help you and Luna. We are all doing it out of our own volition and from the good of our golden little hearts. I’d like to think that even Jacin is more than fond of Luna.”.

A laugh escaped Cinder’s lips “He likes whatever Winter likes, he follows her around everywhere anyway." "it's like he's her bodyguard rather than a police officer.”.

She hesitated before asking. “Are you sure you guys are okay?”

“I guess I’m just trying to have it all ya know? Working my dream job that I won’t get bored of in ten years, managing to look beautiful with semi-faded hair dye and having a kid all before I’m 30!”. Iko pulled Cinder into a hug before standing up. “I am going to get ready for my night out, and you are-”.

A cry echoed from the hallway. Cinder hastily stood up, wincing as she banged her shin on the coffee table. “And I am going to be on mom duty, looks like Luna woke up from her nap”.

Iko started collecting her bag, frowning as she saw that her portscreen was missing. She spent the next few minutes rummaging around and finally pulled her portscreen from under the pile discarded packaging.

“Alright then, if you need anything Inej said that she’d be happy to help.” she hollered before opening the door to an equally surprised looking woman.

Recovering quickly, she smiled. “Hello Iko, is Cinder here?”. She asked as she sauntered into the apartment, gracefully avoiding the plastic bags on the floor. Iko watched as she tried to draped her custom Grisha coat onto the back of the couch before deciding against it, seeing the various stains and sighing “She’s been ignoring my calls.”.

Iko gulped.

-

Cinder open the door to her room fully and walked over to the baby bed placed next to her’s. Sure enough, Luna was red-faced, waving her chubby arms around in protest of her full diaper. Cinder pulled on a soft glove to cover the metal of her prosthetic hand before made quick work of the smelly bomb that was upsetting the both of them.

“Let’s change out of your pajamas, what should we wear today? Cinder opened the draw she’s cleared out in favor of making room for Luna’s steadily growing pile of clothes.

“Hmmmm, let's see, oh look! What about this!” Cinder lifted out a pale blue dress that Winter’s embroidered little stars and moons around the collar and neckline. Iko and the design team she worked with had designed it as part of a new line of baby clothes for Grisha, the company they work for, using ethically sourced materials and well as baby safe dyes and fabrics, and were now waiting for it to become green-lighted by HQ.

“Iko said you were the inspiration for their project, it’s even going to be called Luna’s Delight.” “You know, your name means moon, just like mine, although Mommy prefers to be called Cinder...”. Cinder waffled while snapping buttons on the dress to secure it properly and pulling little socks off and on. Her voice seemed to work best towards soothing Luna, and Cinder gently poked Luna’s soft stomach when she finished, making her gurgle.

“Alright then, if you need anything Inej said that she’d be happy to help.”. Iko hollered. Cinder heard Iko open the door and then a pair of heels clicking against the floor. She stilled. Leaving Luna on the changing table, she crept towards the doorway and her mouth gaped open in dismay. Her mother was standing by the couch, immaculate as always, looking out of place surrounded by stained furniture and plastic bags.

“--She’s been ignoring my calls, and lately I’ve been getting worried. So I came to her instead.”.

“Um, well we’ve all been pretty busy recently, I’m sure Cinder had her reasons for not calling.”. Iko said fidgeting with the ends of her braids. Cinder shook off the shock. Iko was stalling for her, Cinder hesitantly looked back at Luna, who was currently occupied by the galaxy themed mobile.

“How is the fashion line going, I’m looking forward to wearing a Grisha evening gown to the gala as always. Last years collection was simply sublime, don’t you think?”. Channary asks, and seeing Iko’s shock, she laughs. “I’ve always had an eye for beautiful things and your designs are no exception. Zoya better be careful or I might lock you away to be my personal designer.”.

Cinder watched as Iko, her cheeks darkened, stammered thanks to her mother. She whipped her head around as she heard rustling. Luna was now trying to grab the rattle she placed next to her head.

“Luna, don’t!”

Cinder grimaced. That was louder than she had intended. And Luna being a baby, held no regard to her mother’s dismay and began shaking the rattle.

“Cinder, is that you?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any thoughts? Leave suggestions or questions below!
> 
> I really wanted Cinder to be able to have time with Channary (with her psychotic side dialed down of course!). The scene from fairest where Levana found out that Channary kept Cinder by her bedside really struck a chord inside my heart. 
> 
> Next chapter will be Levana's point of view. I will try my best to embody her, and you will get a bit of more backstory for what happened all those years ago as well as businesswoman Channary's current frustrations against rival corporate empires (Green_Leaf your suggestion has thankfully subdued my writer's block)
> 
>  
> 
> P.S. I may or may not be working on a reylo fic so stay tuned if you ship them as much as I do #iwillgodownwiththisship


	5. Mother (Channary)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I took so long to update. I actually had this lying around for a while but forgot to publish it and then proceeded to forget about its existence until today. I hope you like this chapter, I not sure how I feel about it.

Perfectly manicured nails drummed against the glass surface of the desk as Channary held the phone to her ear, mindful of the delicate set of emerald earrings she had chosen to wear that morning. Unsurprisingly, the call was ignored. With a sigh and a click, she set the sleek phone down back into its receiver.

Cinder was ignoring her calls.

Channary suspected it had something to do with the baby she had adopted four months ago. Of course, Cinder probably had no idea that she knew of the child. Her daughter could be terribly naive at times. Channary’s full lips curled into a smile. After all, why else would Channary have bought an entire building if not to keep her only child safe from harm? Hushing the media had also been a complete nightmare these past few weeks; what was it with Blackburn girls and babies, she didn’t know.

Although Channary herself had misgivings when her informant had told her of said baby, she couldn’t bring herself to chide Cinder. After all, she herself had only been a bit older when Sel-Cinder was born, and she seemed to be handling the situation rather well. She supposed Cinder was rather smart in that matter, Channary mused, catching her reflection in the glass windows of her high rise office. She ran her hands along the curves of her hourglass figure, admiring the embroidery on the sides of the dress that shone like burnished gold.

 _Adopting_ , Channary continued on, chiding herself for getting distracted meant Cinder won’t have to put her body through hell and lose her shape young, although it was nothing a little effort didn’t fix. Continuing the Blackburn bloodline on the other hand, well she supposed blood didn’t really matter nowadays. Levana had seemed to have been rather adamant but Channary didn’t care for much except to keep the business running, and more importantly the money flowing.

If Cinder was happy with the girl why shouldn’t she be as well?

Channary walked over to the ornate mirror hanging at the other end of her office and peered into the glass. The afternoon light was doing wonders, making her olive skin radiant and the dark chestnut of her hair gleam, not a hair out of place from the French twist. Channary had sworn off any medical procedure long ago, remembering what little motherly advice she had been had gifted by Jannali while she was still alive. If she were to go under the knife once, she would have to continually do so for the rest of her life in order to keep appearances, and she, horrified at the prospect of hiding bandages or a surgical mishap, had agreed with her on that sentiment.

Although, Channary mused while tilting her head to see if she could find an even more flattering angle, she supposed people like Levana needed the surgery to be able to make public appearances. She gasped, but now that she was in prison, Levana had nothing else to do but wait and watch her face slowly melt off as if it were hot wax. Channary’s grin was now radiant as she admired the way the emeralds surrounding her neck glittered. The beauty she craved oh so much literally slipping through her hands was the sentence Levana deserved, and so much more for making her miss witnessing her darling Cinder grow up. Channary would have liked to rip Levana’s ‘skin’ right off of her face herself. If Cinder agreed of course (although she was almost certain of what the answer would be).

A rosy glow now adorned her high cheekbones and she gave one last look at herself before turning away. Opening the door to her office, she called out “Kinney, arrange the car to be brought over, I’m going to visit my daughter”.

A muffled “Yes Ms. Blackburn,” was drowned out by the sounds of her employees scurrying about as they drew up final reports while the year was turning to a close.

“Ms. Blackburn ma’am?” A timid voice rang out from behind her.

“Yes? Is this about business?” Channary asked, eyeing the man, who, really was only a boy.

“Ugh um yes, ma’am” He managed to choke out. After eyeing her bored expression he gulped “As you know, we’ve had steady competition coming from-”

“I’m well aware of who we are up against, Van Ekk, Rollins, even New Beijing that's being run by that boy is proving a worthy opponent, what about it?”. “Well, they’ve beaten us, ma’am, the sales, their sales are out of the roof, we cannot compete, I--”

The poor boy shrank back as Channary’s complexion flushed a darker shade, and she whipped her head around to glower at him. “Do you not think, that I already know this information? It’s _a humiliation_ , it’s _obvious_ , _one step out of this building and we are surrounded by advertisements, appliances, labels bearing the name of Van Ekk or Rollins!_ ”. Straightening, Channary glanced around the floor.

Everyone’s mouths were gaped wide open and those who had the sense to be less obvious were frozen in their cubicles. They probably hadn’t expected her to even notice the impending doom of her vast businesses, but if Channary had one weakness it was shopping, and the fact that her brands were being _overshadowed_ at almost every shopping district she had visited _did not **bode well**._

“Go home all of you, it’s almost the holidays isn’t it?”. Her eyes narrowed as no one budged. “I want this building empty by 5 pm sharp, is that clear?”. There was a chorus of nods and thank-you’s as she rolled her eyes and climbed into the already waiting elevator.

As she collected her coat from Kinney, she turned towards the blonde man standing behind her. “How’s Winter, I presume she’s doing well after the surgery?”.

Jacin was visibly uncomfortable as he nodded, “She’s recovering well.”.

“Don’t look so unnerved, she’s my niece, I suppose that I must count that as something familiar.”. Channary sniffed delicately. “Do you have the files I asked for?”

“Yes, I do. They are the most “competent” students at Keterdam, most of them are either majoring in business management, finance and of course economics”. Channary took the bundle, grimacing as the surface of her nails scratched against the metal clips holding the papers together.

Jacin glanced over to Channary when no response came, who, as he had suspected was busy making sure that the interaction hadn’t chipped her manicure. The elevator reached the ground level with a ding and they both walked out, She, having now tucked the files underneath her arm and Kinney trailing after them still staring at Jacin as if he were in awe. She supposed Jacin and that other officer, Matthias… and Wolf? were heroes, arresting Levana and all, she also knew Kinney was studying to become a police officer and that this was merely a part-time job. Coming in contact with a recognized officer must have been a shock.

She eyed Cress who was hiding behind one of the big marble pillars in the lobby, squeaking when Jacin motioned for her to join them.

“We have to go back to the office, goodbye Channary.”. She nodded as she watched the two walked down the stairs of the building.

“Ms. Blackburn, your car’s here.”. Kinney's voice rang out as did the clacking of her heels on stone. She slid into the back as Kinney sat next to the driver and the car drove off towards Cinder’s apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Channary was only in fairest until cinder was about 1 yr old so I didn't really get a grasp about what kind of a mother she would be but the scene where Levana goes into Channary's room and finds out that she had been sleeping with Cinder really stuck with me so I decided to kind of base her character on that as well as her carefree attitude about being queen. As I promised before, I did make her less psychotic but still kept it a little creepy as a kick. 
> 
> Please leave a comment on how I can improve or if you have any suggestions/question about the characters in this AU


	6. The Mistake (Jesper & Wylan)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Suuuuuper sorry that I couldn't update in a while, I'm writing up the second part of this chapter right now. I decided to split it into two so that you guys won't have to wait for the Wylan/Jes stuff that I've been promising for a while now. Sorry it's so short! I'll probably add more when I check over stuff.

Wylan stood waiting for the elevator to arrive. He was perfectly still, statuesque really, compared to Jesper who was bouncing on the balls of his feet or adjusting his blazer. A move which Wylan thought was pointless as he knew Jesper blew half of what should have been his rent on tailoring the suit jacket and pants to him perfectly.  The money they got- (or most likely stole knowing Kaz) after catching Levana was sadly still being laundered meaning they had to rely on their regular paychecks and more respectable side jobs for rent. 

Wylan blushed as he watched Jesper roll his shoulders, making the lithe muscles of his arms and shoulders stand out.

 

Not that he minded the view, of course.

 

Wylan felt oddly light as he watched the dimly lit number lights slowly tick it’s way to the third floor. And it was  _ not _ because he was alone with Jesper. His hands went to adjust the non-existant straps of his satchel which he had left in Cinder’s apartment. 

 

“Jesper, I-” Wylan began as Jesper turned and lifted something up to the light before lightly throwing it towards him. He scrambled to catch it, realizing that it was indeed his portscreen. Wylan quickly pocketed the device after giving him a quick peck on his cheek. 

 

The elevator dinged and opened, and Wylan promptly felt himself being shoved in. Jesper made quick work as he punched the button with the faded b1 printed on its face before turning around to box him into the corner. His ears were probably burning a bright red underneath the curls of his bright hair and the handrail was digging uncomfortably into his back, but Wylan couldn’t concentrate on anything between Jesper kissing him and the warm, fluttering feeling he only felt when succeeding in creating a new type of explosive, playing his flute or from whatever magic was happening now.

 

The elevator chimed it’s destination to deaf ears as the two boys were too occupied. It wasn’t until the doors slid open and Wylan peeked through half-lidded eyes did he squawk, flushing a deeper shade of crimson if that was even possible.  

 

“Jes,  _ Jes-”  _ he whisper-shouted as Jesper trailed his lips down his neck. Jesper hummed to show that he was listening. 

 

“Ci-”. He tried to gasp out. 

 

“I’d  _ hate _ to be interrupted in your position but this godforsaken building only has  _ one elevator _ ” Jesper straightened up as a familiar lilting voice resonated through the enclosed space. He straightened the collar of his shirt where Wylan had grasped it and turned around looking unabashed. 

 

“Sorry Ms. Blackburn, you know how things get carried away…” he flashed a charming grin at her for good measure. 

Channary sighed. “If only you weren’t so young, we could have had  _ so much fun _ .”.  She eyed Wylan’s increasingly flushing face as he made a strange gulping sound. 

 

“And you too if you’d like?”. 

 

They sidestepped out of the elevator as she entered, Kinney in tow. “Well, goodbye then. Always so nice meeting you-” her words were cut off of by the dull metal doors as they slid shut. 

 

“Well-” Jesper said shaking his head “I still can’t believe they are related.” He looked back at Wylan who was frantically typing something on his portscreen. 

 

“Great, now  _ you’re  _ ignoring me, Kaz is  _ not _ a good influence on you-” He peered down at the bluish screen. “what  _ are _ you doing?”

 

Wylan glared. “Cinder’s mother is here!” 

 

Jesper blinked his grey eyes owlishly. 

 

And bolted for the stairwell.

 

\-------------------

 

“This is pointless you know-” Wylan bemoaned or rather wheezed out as they pounded up the concrete steps. Jesper couldn’t decide which one was louder, their footsteps or Wylan’s incessant whining.  

 

“Not with your short legs we won’t” He smirked as he mentally ticked off another reason why long legs were superior to those that were less so. 

 

“Besides-” Jesper called out as he reached the final step “-even if we don’t make it we can still watch the drama unfold.”. He leaned against the door, grimacing as he spotted a particularly large spider swinging from the slightly grimy wall..

 

Wylan, for once glad that he wasn’t lunging his satchel about braced himself up against said wall, narrowly missing the spider.  Jesper grandly gestured towards the door as Wylan caught his breath and opened it. 

 

“Wasn’t physical ed part of your private tutoring?” 

 

“Yes I did all the fancy schmancy sports like polo and fencing rather than dodging bullets” 

 

Jesper grinned “Guess Kaz put you through a crash course with that first mission then?” 

 

Ears threatening to redden again, Wylan sighed and walked towards Cinder’s apartment. 

 

“C’mon we’ll miss all of the “drama”."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always please leave a comment and I'll see you again real soon! (Hopefully)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll just let you read the chapter at this point. I don't even want to know how long it's been since I've last updated. Super sorry.

 

“You  **_WHAT_ ** !”. 

 

Inej smoothly swung herself over the balcony railing, landing soundlessly despite the hindrance of the metal grating; although, the commotion going on inside was more than enough to mask her arrival.  

 

She opted to perch under the window rather than climb through it per usual. 

 

No one in their right mind would willingly walk into this room.

 

Maybe Thorne if he wasn’t paying enough attention. 

 

Apparently, Cinder’s mother had known about her grandchild for quite some time and then opted to take her daughter by surprise instead of having a civil conversation at her office. 

Obviously, Kaz knew that Channary knew about Luna and the various spies she’s been rotating around the neighborhood. Nothing can pass under Kaz’s patent Italian leather shoes without him knowing about it. 

 

And so now here she was, squatting under a semi-rusted windowsill, being the spider, his wraith.

 

Blending into the shadows, she took a quick peek. Cinder has gone from pale-faced to fuming in a matter of seconds.

 

“Honestly, Cinder, you couldn’t have expected me to leave you completely unsupervised now can you?” 

 

Channary cooed at Luna, dangling her necklace over the infant as if it were a toy; chubby fingers grabbing at the precious stones as they glinted in the light cast by the overhead lamp. Inej stared at the spectacle, unsure as to laugh at the scene or stare aghast at it. Kaz would have a field day knowing his gift was well appreciated.

 

Luna, having made a well-aimed grab now slobbered all over the emeralds. 

 

Very well appreciated.  

 

“You were barely older than Luna here when I lost you, and when we were a family again you wanted to leave again!” 

 

Cinder rolled her eyes

 

Channary shifted a now sleeping Luna to her shoulder paying no mind to the drool staining the expensive fabric, tossing the necklace onto the desk before lovingly laying Luna into her cot before turning around nimbly to face her daughter. 

 

“Oh, don’t give me that look! Levana’s cronies were still prowling the streets and you wanted to move to Ketterdam! Out of all the places you could have picked, why here?”  

 

Cinder crossed her arms. “ _ So you sent people to  _ **_SPY_ ** _ on me! _ ” My university is here, mom. My friends and here- the ones who busted you out of the psych ward, _ remember _ ?” 

 

“You aren’t just a university student anymore Cinder. As much as you run away from it you are an heiress to not only one of the biggest companies in the world but to the biggest fortune-!” 

 

Channary sighed. “You have a responsibility, Cinder. I made the mistake of shying away from it..., and look how we paid for it.”.

 

Inej narrowed her eyes. 

 

“And around 5000 other people” Cinder added on.

 

Her lip twitched at the remark. Cinder always keeps the bigger picture in mind. Maybe she and Kaz would scheme well together after all.

 

Inej watched as she smiled and cupped her daughter’s face with her hands. The gesture was so... motherly. 

 

“I suppose we can always arrange to sell the company, oh! And you can build your own empire with the money! I always dreamed of my daughter being a CEO or a president, you never know-” 

 

“Mom!”

 

Creeping back up the fire escape she thought to herself. Sell the company? Now that’s interesting. Everyone knew Blackburn sales were hindering but to sell a prestigious multinational company on a whim. Well, it was said that Channary found commitment hard. On any level. 

 

Perhaps in a cruel way, it was fated for Channary to lose Cinder. That way Channary wouldn’t have grown bored of a baby that would take several years until it was ready to be paraded about like Cinder was now. 

 

Although, despite the same choice of rather garish nail polish and the same claw-like tips, Channary’s hands never resembled Tante Heleen’s perfectly pampered talons. 

 

Or Channary’s for that matter, ugly only because they were always clenched around something to lay claim her power, her superiority; whether it be the padded arms of her office chair, the opal and mother of pearl encrusted pen poised to sign manila documents, a sleek silver pistol, silencer falling away to the floor.

 

_ ‘The hands and the eyes, that’s where you see real truth in a person, where their hearts are laid out bare for the saints to see’  _ Her father’s words were floating back to her brought tears into her eyes although she called them every Sunday. 

 

They more closely resembled the hands of her own mother, as ridiculous as that sounded. 

 

The similarities were not in how the hands looked, what with her own mother’s calloused and well-worn hands. 

 

Hands that had taken time to painstakingly repair things around the circus and mind the ropes as her children and nieces and nephews dangled precariously from them. Hands that cared, hands that bore the pain of others if only to ease their suffering.

 

While Channary’s smooth, unlined doll hands, although having never known the strain of labour, perhaps knew the same amount of pain as knowing the phantom touch of sticky hands, of stroking flushed cheeks, brushing away stray hairs, of wiping away tears… 

 

They were kind hands, the way they moved to sought out her daughter, cradled her granddaughter who, in truth was a nobody, would be a nobody if she deemed it so. 

 

She certainly had the power and influence to do it. 

 

Levana would have. 

 

Inej paused on the metal steps, turning towards the sunset. She loved the twilight, the merging of night and day, the sky dyed a rich purple colour that she used to wear at the circus. If only she had the time to be idly gazing at the sky every day. At least she had the painting that Wylan’s mother had made for her that was better than any picture she could find on the net. 

 

She missed her own mother in times like these, but the knowledge that she now had her own identity, and a hefty sum of money eased the ache as it meant that she could go visit her parents whenever she wished. 

 

The passport in question had been acquired by Kaz in a ‘perfectly legal manner’ (he had assured her) although Jacin had told her later on that she had been mysteriously bumped to the top of the list as a person of priority. 

 

Whether or not that's legal or ethical was left unsaid, and although she was thankful, Kaz had owed her this much. For putting up with him and his ridiculous jobs and threats.

 

She had embarrassed the both of them by giving him a kiss out of the joy of it all during the party for Cinder. 

 

It was thoughtless and careless and yet she didn’t regret it, nothing had come out of it after all. 

 

She suppressed a sighed as she slid through the half-open window of Kaz’s study. He better be here, she has midterms to study for. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm trying to make things take motion so hopefully, the next chapter is more interesting. I'm also wondering if more one-shot type chapters would be easier to write so I can publish things quicker instead of writing events day to day.


	8. Striking the deal

Kaz drummed his fingers on his knee as he waited in Channary’s cruiser, the supple black leather of the car seat not making so much as a creak as he shifted his weight to favor his leg, eyeing the sleek interior design of the cruiser, even down to the minute details that promised comfort and security for the user along with an assortment of sweets it was rumored he favored thanks to Nina and Iko's endless shopping spree.

 

Despite his initial misgivings and the ill-placed but ornate tray of guaranteed tooth decay, Kaz had to admit it. 

 

He and Channary had similar tastes. 

 

Or, countering his own explanation, he had the refined tastes of a multi-billionaire. 

 

Kaz preferred the latter. 

 

 He lazily flipped through the pages of his manila folder, an almost exact copy of the one Jacin gave to Channary minus the list after list of potential affiliations, potential illegal dealings and hideouts poured forth, the joint frustrations of private investigators and more ‘moral’ officers of state stamped out neatly in black lettering. 

 

Miraculously, they’ve never truly been able to scrape together a proper lead towards Kaz or any member of the dregs despite the occasions where Jesper had escaped with the skin of his teeth and a rather singed looking Wylan tucked snugly under his arm. 

 

No one was pretending that Kaz was the golden student at their university, but then again no one knew the extensive gambling businesses and underground work he did besides his co-conspirators. And if Matthias wasn't wasting his time again just to play a practical joke, Channary was to become a partner as well. 

 

The tell-tale click-clack of heels could be heard outside as the cruiser starts to hum gently, the door gliding open to a rather disheveled looking Channary, wrinkles and stains adorning her dress rather than the sparkling array of jewels she always carried around. 

 

A half hour late to their appointment, this being one of Channary's better days. She's notorious for not showing up to even multi-billion dollar deals, leaving the work up to her higher-ups. 

 

Those pitiful bastards. 

 

But, somehow the wisps of hair now floating about her face made her seem even more radiant, and a bit more like Cinder- if you squint hard enough and imagined miscellaneous stains on her clothes and arms. 

 

His latest report on Cinder and the baby were also clutched in her hands, meticulously written by hand in between his scholastic reports and more... sinister pieces. 

 

Kaz found that Inej slipping physical slips of paper into offices were a far more effective threatening technique than coms, and much more untraceable if one took enough care and time. 

 

Which he did, of course.  

 

Channary, in any case, dropped the folder onto the space between them rather absentmindedly as she brushed back her falling hair with her hands, using the built-in glass divider of the cruiser as a mirror. 

 

Kaz cocked his brow, surprised that it showed both their reflections unlike all of the glass in her elegant office towers and the old Blackburn estate.  

 

He’s heard about the infamous stuff; one of, if not the only technological advancement Levana made that didn’t have the potential to destroy all of mankind. Channary it seemed wasn’t nearly as vain as Levana as she was careless. 

 

Carefree, as Nina would say, Channary fast becoming a sort of idol for her. 

 

But, he wasn’t sure what to make of the new-found determination blazing in her eyes even through the reflection. 

 

Honestly, it seemed to run in the Blackburn family, this smoldering determination. If they wanted something done, they would move to change the game, the board no longer emulating a chess game with its methodical approach and set pieces. 

 

A pawn could become a queen overnight, a mere knight in service, a rook, the endgame piece, the winner. 

 

Or, perhaps not. 

 

Channary was still grooming herself, the light in her eyes perhaps being more her determination to turn every head on the street with her beauty and charm.  After a few moments, she finally set down the brush that had seemingly materialized out of thin air before stating abruptly,

 

“I want to crush Pekka Rollins spirit. I want to take his empire and grind it into dust and let it blow away to the ends of the earth.”. 

 

There is sudden graveness in her voice, enough to make the hairs on the back of Kaz’s neck to stand, catching him off-guard, drawing his intrigue.

 

“Why?”. 

 

She is looking back towards the apartment, it’s silhouette stark against the rich red of the setting sun.

 

“Because I will risk everything for  _ my _ family.”. 

 

She turns her face towards him,

 

“Wouldn’t you?”. 

 

A flicker skirts at the edge of Kaz's vision, a flock of crows prowling the sky for the catch of the day.

 

 That glint in Channary's eyes is _oh too familiar_ for his liking. 

They are his eyes, manipulative, calculative and cold before unveiling the new plot to the gang. 

 

His voice is flint and steel as he answers, 

“Perhaps.”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trying to shoehorn my ideas towards the plot after a few filler chapters. I'm not quite sure yet whether I'm capturing Kaz, I'll have to look back at SOC to see what else I can do. 
> 
> P.S. I'm nearing my winter break so the next update shouldn't be too far away, I hope you liked this chapter :)


	9. Misadventures (Nina/Kai)

Music blared out from hidden speakers, thrumming through her chest as hypnotizing neon lights burst over the crowd of wasted young adults stepping and spinning around to electro swing. The retro theme from the 3rd world war had come back at full force this past century or so, pressed suits and fine bead detailing being demanded from every corner of the globe to Grisha Inc much to the dismay of her poor fingers.

Body glitter, on the other hand, had just come back this summer…

As much as Nina liked to stay on trend, she, unfortunately, had developed a sort of hatred for the sparkling powder usually reserved for jammed sewing machines and long queues for food.

 

It went _everywhere_ and was _impossible_ to clean up much to the chagrin of both Matthias and her. But that’s a different story involving police uniforms and hot pink industrial strength adhesive glitter.

        She had lost Scarlet over two hours ago by a mob of overly delighted Parisian exchange students after one of them had recognized her from elementary school of all places! Nina barely managed to shout after them in fluent French to return her by sunrise, not that they would, of course.

Wolf is going to kill her.

        Cress had gone home an hour ago pleading exhaustion with Thorne, who clearly doesn’t understand the concept of a girls night no matter how fun it is to go clubbing with him. Only Saints know what Inej is up to now, who had politely declined the invitation, mostly for Kaz, but also because Nina knew that the darkness and writhing bodies still reminded her too much of Tante Heleen’s Hell Club™.       

        She was on the verge of losing an eye on Iko as well. If it wasn’t for her newly dyed purple hair that glowed under the black light of the club, girls night might as well be a lost cause, for it has turned into abandon-Nina-for-other-friends-who-aren’t-as-fun-as-her-night.

        Sighing, she unraveled the bun Iko had styled for her at the salon, shaking out her thick hair. The robe like dress she chose to wear was one she designed herself and was simply divine. Long flowing rayon fabric of deep red, hand-sewn together to create a loose-fitting gown. But Nina kept a shapely silhouette by adding embellishments to the waist to form a belt.

        Embroidery and bead detailing beginning at the neckline ended at the hips where thigh-high splits began on either side to emphasize the wearer's legs and make them seem longer. Not that Nina or Iko needed to make their legs longer, Cress had sulked good-naturedly. A spin-off of those long dresses from a time gone by, where everything was probably still handmade. Although, Nina grimaced as the fabric stuck to her thighs, she would have to find more breathable fabric if she was going to market this as a party dress.

        She plopped down onto an empty stool and ordered the assortment plate that rattled along the counter to the vibration from the speakers, along with a fruit cocktail that shimmered 20 different colours for the drinker's enjoyment.

 

Nina downed the entire thing in one go.

 

At least the finger food was decent.

 

“Nina!!!, Niiiinaaaa!”

 

        Nina stopped drowning her woos in savory dipping sauce and looked up to see Iko making her way through the dance floor. Unlike her, Iko had fully embraced the glitter fad, looking ethereal and positively glowing, aided by a purple version of the dress. Cress had worn the royal blue version of the dress to match her eyes, Nina thought mournfully. They would have looked amazing together.

 

Iko was waving one long arm at her, the other occupied with dragging a man through the crowd.

A tall man. A tall man with shaggy hair. A tall man with shaggy hair and a warm gaze. A tall man with shaggy hair and a warm gaze that you would see on the cover of a teen magazine.

Iko looked triumphant as Nina fixed her with an exasperated look.

 

“Kai, this is Nina, Nina you remember Kai right?” Iko introduced them excitably.

Nina arched her right brow and crossed her legs as they approached her.

“A pleasure, you just missed Cress and Scarlet.”. Kai raised his brows in response to her greeting.

“Don’t mind her, she’s just annoyed that girls night didn’t work out the way she planned.”. Iko shot Nina an exasperated look.

Kai’s face, on the other hand, lit up at Iko’s words. “Does that mean Cinder’s here?”.

        Nina can see the cogs turning inside Iko’s head; joy, surprise, confliction, and then, guilt. Cinder had almost dropped all interaction with people outside of their apartment, afraid of anything spilling out onto the net about Luna, and inevitably to the world. Unfortunately, that decision swept Kai right off of the edge of the little world she had created for herself. Cinder’s main argument was that even if she kept in touch, Kai would pull away after hearing about the baby business. Not to mention Kaz’s secret bunker stashed literally underneath Cinder.

Nina glanced at Iko, who in return shook her head. “Sorry, Kai. She couldn’t make it today.”.

 

*  * *

 

        Kai felt his heart sinking as he watched Iko shake her head. Of course, not being able to call was understandable, what with Cinder adjusting to her life involving Channary, the company and the ever-mounting court cases against Levana. Stars, even he testified against Levana time and time again. These past four months have been a long wait. Kai had thought they’d made a connection, a spark throughout the albeit brief time they worked together.

Overthrowing a tyrannical aunt apparently doesn’t make for a great second date, he supposed.

        But every time Nanisi comes to report a call or message to his office, Kai couldn’t help but stroke that tiny ember of hope. She had believed in him, given him words of courage to uphold his family legacy, and in consequence the numerous business and political ties he would soon uphold as well. Torin and his father were wonderful at guiding him through this period, but Cinder, who was in the same position as him was wonderful to talk to. If friendship was the only thing she wanted, he would try to take her words in stride. If only she would give him confirmation for either case…

“Do you think I could talk to her? Not today obviously, but-” he paused as Iko suddenly ran off towards the exit.

“Let’s have a drink, you look liked you need a break.”. Nina patted the seat next to her, shouting something to the bartender as the music started up again with a rather brassy opening.

The bartender came back and practically slammed the tray of shots onto the counter, glaring at Nina and then at him. Kai sighed. It was going to be a busy night for the press again.

 

        They must have been on their fifth or sixth shot when Nina finally spoke up. “Whatever you think, it’s definitely not it.”. Well, that was cryptic.

Nina swallowed and continued, “Things just came up recently, family-wise, that’s all.”.

        He rubbed his head with his hands, no doubt making his hair stick up even more in the humid club.

“You know a lot and you’re not family.”, he winced and set down his glass with a heavy thunk. He’s definitely had too much to drink for today- or is it Saturday morning already?

Nina looked at him apologetically before her face molded into pure surprise instead.  “Matthias!”.

Kai stood up, willing himself not to wobble as he greeted the officer, who was out of uniform for once and instead dressed simply in a dark blue button-up shirt and dark jeans.

Ironic, to say the least.

Matthias nodded at Kai’s greeting before crossing his arms at Nina.

“You said you’ll be back by morning.”

“I _will_ be back by morning.” Nina, in turn, had also crossed her arms, looking annoyed.

“It is morning.”

        “Oh, oh… Oh!” Nina stood up and Kai marveled at her ability to totter around in her heels. He was positive she had more to drink than him. Even Matthias’s glacier-like features had also melted into something akin to worry as Nina determinedly tried to make her way through him and back into the crowd. He held her back gently by the arm, asking Nina where she was going, Nina, in turn, began blabbering something about the French and Scarlet and sunrises.

        Kai felt something stir inside of him watching them. How many times has he daydreamed doing that exact thing with Cinder, asking her, _holding her_. Kai cursed. Something really was stirring inside of him. And it wasn’t good. He grasped at the edge of the bar and hurled in a most undignified manner in the corner of the club. Kai bet that bartender was real glad they weren’t drinking with him.

        He couldn’t really remember anything after that. He had lost his grip on the counter and fell backward- a flash of red hair tickled his face as it was being wiped, or maybe it was red tulle?

He wasn’t sure.

 _Oh stars,_ he was sure in for it now, he could imagine Torin’s disappointed face, his father...

 

But for now, darkness was descending.

 

Kai closed his eyes

                               and fell down,

 

                                                       down,

 

                                                                  d-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have realized that I nearly forgot about Kai of all people which is embarrassing in itself + I finished reading qoaad so my mind is in a bit of a scramble (bless cassie for another amazing book) 
> 
> I really hope you like this chapter! It's a bit longer than the others and also doubles as an excuse cause I don't know when the next time I can update would be. 
> 
> Leave a comment if you have any suggestions of questions!


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